I love Foucault! My aim these summer holidays is to read at least two of his books. I came across this quote of his the other day and this is one of the many reasons why I love this man:
“I don’t feel that it is necessary to know exactly what I am. The main interest in life and work is to become someone else that you were not in the beginning. If you knew when you began a book what you would say at the end, do you think that you would have the courage to write it? What is true for writing and for a love relationship is true also for life. The game is worthwhile insofar as we don’t know what will be the end. My field is the history of thought. Man is a thinking being.”
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Not-So Quiet Riot
I hate being sick. What I dislike just as much is being sick whilst looking after a sick toddler. To add to that, I hate being sick on a rainy day whilst looking after a toddler who - despite being sick - still has the energy to want to be entertained 24/7. As a result, my little one has 'Cabin Fever' and is driving me mental!
Enough of my whinging, I want to write about the riots in London. When they first began, I have to admit I was on the people's side. A man was shot by police so the masses had a right to protest their anger regarding the excessiveness of the power and force the police exert. But when that extended to an attack on their own people, I changed my tune. I was neither for the police nor the rioters, but for the greater community who stepped up to bring order and peace back into their neighbourhood. That even extended to the international community to support Aaron Biber who had his barber shop destroyed in the riots.
So this begs the question, do we NEED law and order? Can the powers of the police be diffused somewhat to civilians? The skeptic in me thinks that there is no way the government would give up an aspect of its power and this is evident in this article as David Cameron has declared "war" on dissent (or gangs/anti-social behaviour in conservative speak!). But I think the London riots have demonstrated that despite what the government wants us to think in terms of social control, the people CAN police itself.
(Images courtesy of: http://photoshoplooter.tumblr.com/)
Enough of my whinging, I want to write about the riots in London. When they first began, I have to admit I was on the people's side. A man was shot by police so the masses had a right to protest their anger regarding the excessiveness of the power and force the police exert. But when that extended to an attack on their own people, I changed my tune. I was neither for the police nor the rioters, but for the greater community who stepped up to bring order and peace back into their neighbourhood. That even extended to the international community to support Aaron Biber who had his barber shop destroyed in the riots.
So this begs the question, do we NEED law and order? Can the powers of the police be diffused somewhat to civilians? The skeptic in me thinks that there is no way the government would give up an aspect of its power and this is evident in this article as David Cameron has declared "war" on dissent (or gangs/anti-social behaviour in conservative speak!). But I think the London riots have demonstrated that despite what the government wants us to think in terms of social control, the people CAN police itself.
(Images courtesy of: http://photoshoplooter.tumblr.com/)
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Empathy 101
A great TED Talk by Sam Richards to start the blog. Enjoy! (Source: TED via youtube.com)
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